The resultant Gac oil was diluted at a ratio of 1:200 with the HPLC solvent. All operations were performed under subdued light to minimize oxidation of the carotenoids. The identification of b-carotene and lycopene were based solely on the retention time of a peak compared with the authentication standards. The amounts of b-carotene and lycopene in Gac oils were expressed as mg/100 mL of crude oil